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Beers of Panama: Taste Test

Like today for instance, Shaun and I were forced to sample several Panamanian beers in order to write the blog post.

It’s a tough life…

One of the first things we noticed when we got to Panama was how CHEAP the beer was. In the grocery stores beers were around 65 to 85 cents. At Happy Hour you could get them in restaurants for $1, and any other time they were $1.50. We thought we were living the good life with our $3 dollar beers in Costa Rica. Needless to say, our beer consumption increased dramatically in the 5 days that we were in Panama. The thought of going home to $5 dollar beers is very sad!!

Since we knew we would be imbibing in a few Cerveza’s, we figure we needed to take the time to sample what Panama had to offer. So, we popped into the grocery store, and grabbed the 5 main Panamanian beers.

Hello Homemade Happy Hour

So here we go, Shaun and I’s not so expert opinion on the beers of Panama. Keep in mind, this is exactly what we wrote down as we went, so the comments may get more creative as we progress!

Shaun: Light Lager, reminds me of a Bud Light, not too bad, could easily drink a few

Balboa: Alcohol Percentage 4.8%

Kate: More bubbly then Atlas, caramel hints, heavier then Atlas, and tastes like it has a higher alcohol content. Probably couldn’t have more then one or two before I felt full. I wouldn’t order this in a restaurant.

Shaun: Medium strength beer, sharper then Atlas, yet quite easy still to drink, Reminds me of Okanagan Springs 1516 which I’m not a fan of. Not a beer I would typically choose, more of a “filler” beer.

Soberana: Alcohol content 3.8%

Kate: Super light in colour, compared to the others. *takes sip* DISLIKE, coppery, sharp metallic taste, very hoppy at the end. Smells like the last dregs of a warm cup of beer. My first, and last Soberana

Shaun: Light beer with a bit of a fruity taste. Reminds of a somewhat flat Grasshopper from a beer garden back home. Not a beer I would buy but if offered I would not turn down. Hopefully it was just a dud can.

(it should be noted that Shaun and I dumped this can out)

Panama Light: Alcohol Content 4.2%

Kate: Way more my speed. Not yeasty, refreshing, light, slightly citrusy. Really surprised by how high the alcohol content is for a light beer, and for only being 109 calories. Good to know as they could be deadly. More bubbly then Atlas, but less then Balboa. Social Media on the can as well.

Shaun: Light lager, easy to drink, stronger then Bud or Coors Light, but not quite a Lucky Lager. Good beer for a hot day in the sun.

(it should be noted that Kate made Shaun stop drinking this one, so she could finish it herself)

Panama: Alcohol content 4.8%

Kate: Seems drinkable at first sip but has a heavy finish, too much malt. I find it amazing how different this tastes from the light version. Reminds me of a Rickards Red, which is a beer I am not a fan of.

Shaun: Strongest tasting of two beers, reminds me of Rickards Red. Good, but not great. A beer I would order for myself

(it should be noted that Kate let Shaun finish this one by himself since she hogged the Panama Light)

So there you have it! We are by no means experts in the land of beer, but know how to have a good time doing a taste test!

I want to let everyone know that we will be toiling away on a beer taste test for both Costa Rican, and Nicaraguan beers as well.